Batista will have the chance to tell his version of the truth on Wednesday, when he will face Brazilian police, who are investigating the young heir on suspicion of manslaughter.

On Saturday, Batista -- son of Eike, the 7th richest person in the world with a $30 billion mining fortune -- was driving his Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren sports car in a Rio de Janeiro suburb when he hit and killed a cyclist. That much is undisputed. A 30-year-old laborer, Wanderson Pereira dos Santos, died instantly. Thor passed a breathalyzer test at the scene and was not arrested.

What now remains to be decided is whether Thor is at all culpable for da Silva's death. In a move that U.S. lawyers might advise against, both the young nightclub entrepreneur and his billionaire father have taken to Twitter to proclaim Thor's innocence. Batista Sr.'s corporate team took over his verified Twitter account on Sunday, discussing the case on the social network on his behalf with his more than 650,000 followers:

"Thor was at the speed limit, did a breathalyzer test and signed a statement describing the accident," said one tweet. "Thor Batista regrets the accident [on Saturday] and reports that he provided aid to the victim, who was crossing the highway."

Dos Santos' aunt disputes that her nephew was crossing the highway, claiming he would've been on the shoulder at that point in his journey. She added that the state of Wanderson's body indicates a head-on collision at speed. His heart, she told Brazilian newspapers, was inside Thor's car. The family's lawyer Cléber Carvalho Rumbelsperger told the press that the man's body was torn apart and had to be reconstructed for the burial, which was held on Sunday.

Update: In a statement to Forbes on Tuesday afternoon, a spokesperson for Eike Batista's EBX conglomerate said:

"Regarding the accident that happened on March 17, Thor Batista deeply regrets the incident, indicating that he provided aid to the victim, who inadvertently crossed the southbound side of Highway BR-040 (Juiz de Fora to Rio) on his bike. Mr. Batista called the ambulance service of the Juiz de Fora-Rio Road Concession Company, which manages the highway, to provide treatment to Wanderson Pereira dos Santos. Thor was driving within the speed limit, took a breathalyzer test and signed a handwritten statement describing the accident at the Federal Highway Police (PRF) station. He will provide all possible assistance to Mr. Pereira dos Santos' family and, within the week, will appear at Rio de Janeiro's 61st Police Precinct to offer an account of events."